Big firms face OSHA scrutiny in Pennsylvania

• Pennsylvania was among the top states for OSHA-reported injuries in each state, specifically at Amazon, FedEx, and UPS locations.
• Marketing company Atticus researchers looked at OSHA’s Severe Injury Report and parsed it out by location for their final comparisons.
• Pennsylvania had the third most OSHA complaints regarding both Amazon and UPS and second most with regards to FedEx.
• The No. 1 state with the most complaints across the board was Texas, followed by Florida.
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Dentist to pay fine over whistleblower violations

• A dentist in Peoria, Arizona, was ordered to pay $20,000 in back wages to an employee who was terminated for making allegations of unsafe work practices at the practice.
• In March 2020, a dental assistant at the practice of Dr. Monzer K. Al-Dadah LLC and Dr. Al-Dadah filed a complaint with OSHA about unsafe working practices related to COVID-19.
• The employee complained about the risk of contracting COVID-19 and refused a work assignment due to fears of contracting COVID-19. The worker also discussed workplace safety issues with coworkers.
• Al-Dadah made attempts to identify the individual who submitted the complaint, then terminated the dental assistant, who had worked at the practice for more than 20 years.
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OSHA opens investigation in Kansas City

• Kansas City Council members voiced over whether the former downtown AT&T building where a worker plunged to his death was providing laborers with fair compensation and the proper safety resources.
• ODHA and Kansas City police have launched an investigation into the death of a Nicaraguan man.
• He was brought to the metro from an Indianapolis temporary employment agency to work on the building’s renovations.
• The man is believed to be Jose Sanchez and he left behind two children:
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Companies fined after chemical exposure at power plant

• Four contract workers at a power plant were rushed to a hospital following possible exposure to a hazardous chemical in Franklin, Texas.
• Rentech Boiler Systems based out of Abilene, Texas, and Furnace and Tube Services based out of Gonzalez, Louisiana were both given two citations each for their involvement in the incident.
• Both companies were issued a fine. Rentech was fined $10,046.00 per citation totaling $20,092. Furnace and Tube Services was fined just $7,813.00 per citation totaling $15,626
• The employers failed to supply sufficient protective gear when engineering controls were insufficient.
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